Vincent de Paul, French Catholic Priest

Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was a French priest of the Catholic Church who became dedicated to serving the poor. Founder of the first permanent asylum for children in France. De Paul studied humanities and theology and was ordained in 1600. In 1605, on his way back from Marseille, he was taken captive by Turkish pirates, who brought him to Tunis and sold him into slavery. After converting his owner to Christianity, Vincent de Paul escaped in 1607. In 1625 de Paul founded the Congregation of the Mission, a society of missionary priests commonly known as the Vincentians or Lazarists. In 1633, with the assistance of Louise de Marillac he founded the Daughters of Charity. He died of natural causes. De Paul was renowned for his compassion, humility and generosity.For this reason he is known as the Great Apostle of Charity'. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737

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